The invention relates to the recovery of underwater deposits of all sorts by underwater vehicles and the like, including those equipped with mechanical arm-jaw-operated containers; being more particularly concerned with xe2x80x9cclam-shellxe2x80x9d type scoopers that can seal the scooped deposit during its raising to the surface of the water.
Many types of underwater deposit recovery mechanisms, containers, corers and the like have been proposed and used, particularly in connection with remote-controlled underwater vehicles (ROV), monitored by underwater television and other cameras. An example of such is described for example in xe2x80x9cDiscovering the Oceansxe2x80x9d, published by the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System in December 2000, and elsewhere.
Such devices are relatively expensive and are not particularly adapted for smaller ROV mechanical recovery arms and jaws. They generally require, moreover, special sealing mechanisms and dimensional fit tolerances, and, in addition, often require the removal of recovered deposits and transfer to storage containers, sampler bottles and the like.
In accordance with the present invention an improved, simplified and low-cost recovery xe2x80x9cclam-shellxe2x80x9d type scooper is provided that is preferably made of one-piece resilient transparent or translucent thin plastic for observation of contents and that self-seals and can itself, indeed, serve as the ultimate specimen storage container, being readily detachable from the operational jaws for such purpose.
The principal object of the present invention, thus, is to provide such a simplified and low-cost underwater and self-sealing scooper, particularly adapted to be connected to (detachably, if desired) mechanical arm jaws carried by underwater vehicles such as ROV""s and the like, and that may also be used as the ultimate storage container for the recovered deposits, and that shall not be subject to the above-described and other limitations of present-day devices of this nature.
Other and further objects % will be explained hereinafter and are more specifically delineated by the appended claims.
In summary, the invention embraces a transparent/translucent thin flexible plastic scooper-container having lower and upper mating hollow container portions having rearward and forward walls and side walls therebetween and joined along their adjacent rearward walls by an intermediate flexible resilient hinge region, and with the upper portion inverted and normally resiliently hold diverging upward at an acute or obtuse angle from the lower portion in an open scooper-container position; the upper portion being of somewhat smaller cross dimensions and area than the lower position to permit a forced resilient downwardly bending insertion of the upper portion into the lower portion about said hinge region to fit into the hollow of the lower portion and with its forward wall engaging the bottom of the lower portion rearward of its forward wall, thereby to close off the hollows between the upper and lower portions in a closed scooper-container position.
Best mode and preferred designs are later described in detail.